*March 6, 2012I read through T.H. White's version of Arthur and then came back to this one by Malory. I think Malory's is dramatically better. The com*March 6, 2012I read through T.H. White's version of Arthur and then came back to this one by Malory. I think Malory's is dramatically better. The complex nature of Guinevere, Lancelot, and Arthur I found to feel more inspiring here as Lancelot eventually does swear off Guinevere (as shown when he refuses to kiss her at her request, towards the end of the book), whereas in White's version Lancelot never manages to swear her off on his own.

*July 27, 2011Note: When I wrote the commentary below, I really did not understand Malory's depiction of the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere. After giving it time and study, I find it to be a shallow, thoughtless, and self-gratifying study. It's almost as if he tossed the whole 'cheating on their best friend/husband' thing aside so that he could turn Lancelot into the hero Malory wanted Lancelot to be. The story still has great merit, but that particular aspect of the story was not truthful.

Still, I did enjoy the mythopoeic nature of the story exceedingly.

*Began reading abridged version, second time, January 15, 2011

Finished March 31, 2011

Notes:O.k. I really do not understand Guinever and Lancelot's relationship. The medieval idea of a a "saintly" courtly lover having four qualities: humility, courtesy, involvement in an adulterous relationship, and practicing the religion of love is, according to my beliefs, downright crazy.

Anyone out there understand this theme in the story better than I do?

*

First review - August 7, 2010:

Malory's rendition of the tale of King Arthur and the round table was thoroughly enjoyable. It was beautifully crafted, delicate in its transitions from fairy tale to verisimilar fiction, and masterful in its storytelling.

The scenes surrounding the attainment of the holy grail were particularly memorable. The image of Percival's lifeless sister floating in an unguided boat towards the castle of the holy grail, with the dishonorable and prideful Lancelot therein by God's command was deserving of a Peter Jackson film all in itself. The scenes surrounding the penultimate climax of Sir Galahad, Sir Percival, and Sir Bor's attainment of the grail were so short, perhaps only 80 pages (out of a thousand), and somehow their succinct nature enhanced the visuals four times over. It was beautiful.

I'll quickly run out of superlatives talking about the book, but there were many parts that also troubled me. I had a strong preconception about Lancelot from having recently read T.H. White's rendition of the tale. His version of Lancelot was less satisfying to me, and it wasn't until the end of reading Malory's rendition that I really understood more of Lancelot and Guinevere's characters. I understood more thoroughly Guinevere's mindset: she was truly the most beautiful and intelligent woman in all of England, and because she never lacked or had any weaknesses other than spiritual ones, it took her longer to recognize her own religion and dependence on her creator. When she finally lost her true, covenanted husband, then she finally realized what a fool she was, and that it was foolish to cling to Lancelot like a fancy trophy. When she realized this, then Lancelot did too.

I could definitely read this book again. I would like to understand more of the story, especially the character portraits.

It's a great read. I listened to it on audio, read by Frederick Davidson. He doesn't do the story justice, but its an adequate reading (I imagine that they had a small budget when created the recording as they didn't expect many people to buy an unabridged version of the story)....more

Few books captivate a reader to the point where he cannot help but wonder at the normality of his own life when extraordinary events such as these canFew books captivate a reader to the point where he cannot help but wonder at the normality of his own life when extraordinary events such as these can happen in the lives of people of the same planet. I find this to be one of those books.

The story of Heinrich Harrer's seven years in Tibet, eventually leading him to the feet and intimate friendship of The 14th Dalai Lama, is so out of the normal range of human experience that I must compare his experience with those of Puyi (Last Emperor of China) and of Neil Armstrong. The journey into the forbidden city by Harrer and Peter Aufschnaiter, with its hair-raising adventures, narrow escapes, clever disguises, and sheer luck, attributes to the fact that some people do indeed have destinies. Even the final moments of Tibetan freedom as seen from Harrer's point of view are surrounded with unique moments that easily become unforgettable pictures in the mind.

I went into this book with wary expectations, but by the end of it was fully enthusiastic about Augustine's account of his conversion.

There were two tI went into this book with wary expectations, but by the end of it was fully enthusiastic about Augustine's account of his conversion.

There were two things that always kept me from reading this book: the first was that I read only part of his quote "Lord, give me chastity, but not yet," when I was younger and so it didn't settle with me. I mistakenly thought that "The Confessions" were Augustine's attempts to confess a sin in order that he could keep doing it, and that seemed like a waste of time. But I was completely wrong on that account. My quote above is inaccurate, and the full quote is much better, but I'll leave it to the reader to discover.

Secondly, I was skeptical that an autobiography about "How I became Holy" would be sincere. But, my skepticism revealed more about my own lack of abilities than about Augustine's; the book walked the fine line of avoiding pretentious display while writing about our dependence on God so perfectly that my eye soon stopped looking for his personal errors. Instead, I became completely engaged in visualizing his life, recognizing the times when I too have shown the same foolishness, and feeling enlightened with how he found a way to turn his heart towards divine love.

I highly recommend this book. It was inspiring to read the account of a man so distinguished in rhetoric yet so able to recognize his own lack of distinction as the creation of a heavenly creator. It was, from beginning to end, beautiful.

This book breaks down the underlying beliefs and motivations that underlie faith in Christ. I enjoyed C.S. Lewis' honest and open approach. His abilitThis book breaks down the underlying beliefs and motivations that underlie faith in Christ. I enjoyed C.S. Lewis' honest and open approach. His ability to engage the reader's mind so that he sees himself in the writing and then to help the reader lift his mental view point up to a higher level is one reason why this book remains so popular. ...more

This was totally worth the time it took to read it. Augustine's understanding of the gospel and remarkable rhetorical skills make for a compelling breThis was totally worth the time it took to read it. Augustine's understanding of the gospel and remarkable rhetorical skills make for a compelling breakdown of the fall of Paganism, the rise of Christianity, and the eternal value of surrendering ourselves to our Heavenly Father in order to gain entrance into his city (after which the book was named).

I would heavily recommend reading it on audio first. This is because there are long sections of the book that, while germane anciently, are now completely irrelevant. The said sections were long expatiations on the political movements and philosophical questions of the fifth century. They would, however, be interesting subject matter to a serious student of history.

Many of Augustine's insights were wholly new to me, such as his understanding of numerical symbolism. I'll outline one example briefly:

'God worked 6 days, then rested the 7th. 6 here represents completion of this mortal life. This is shown in that the fundamental base numbers of 1, 2, and 3, can be either multiplied together to reach the number 6 (1 X 2 X 3 = 6), or added together to also make 6 (1 + 2 + 3 = 6). Therefore, 6 is a number that is complete in this life. 7, then, is the transcendence of the number 6. Upon the finishing of this life, we then enter into the rest of the Lord (symbolized by the Sabbath Day), thus transcending at the completion of this life.'

He also explains the numbers 8 and 12, but in order to find out, you'll have to read the book:)

I liked this story a lot. There's a sadness to it that captures the distance that separates us one from another as a human race, and at the same timeI liked this story a lot. There's a sadness to it that captures the distance that separates us one from another as a human race, and at the same time it keeps alive a glimmer of hope. It's a hope in that we are still connected by the spirit of charity we each personally have.

For those who haven't read it, To Kill a Mockingbird is an account of a young girl growing up in a small-town setting. The majority of the book is simply about her trying to understand the way the world works. During the course of the story she witnesses the murder conviction of an innocent African-American man, and because of her family ties to the murder trial her life is put in danger at one point in the story.

What made me feel the sadness was the way Scout (the young girl) always wanted to see the eternally reclusive character, Boo Radley, yet only saw him at the one moment when he saved her life and never saw him again. It illustrated to me the way innocence and truth (epitomized by Boo Radley) are something that exist on their own, and though we may want to give something back in return, we never will be able.

I only give it four stars because some of the parts of the book step into a feeling of hopelessness that I did not enjoy. It's a peccadillo that may only have affected me personally....more

The way the author tells the story powerfully expresses what it must have felt like when, during thoseOne of the greatest tales of loss ever written.

The way the author tells the story powerfully expresses what it must have felt like when, during those same times, they watched their mighty pagan traditions of honor and bravery set out to sea forever, then to be replaced by the new culture of Christianity.

If you read it, make sure you also read J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Monsters and The Critics." The whole essay brings new insights to the story; my particular favorite part was his metaphorical statement that Beowulf is a story of youth and old age, the rising and setting of life, and the embracing of the dragon that comes for us all.

(Tolkein also mimiced the poetic assonance in the speach of "The Rider of the Rhohirim," in his Lord of the Rings saga. Once you've noticed it, its almost impossible not to hear it anymore).

Most people have heard of this book many times, and have heard that it is quite an endeavor**spoiler alert** Definitely lived up to its expectations.

Most people have heard of this book many times, and have heard that it is quite an endeavor to read in that it is very long. The book is worth the read, as the insights into character, virtue, and honest diligence are engaging.

Reading it on audio helps in managing the considerable amount of time it requires to finish. I listened to the reading by Simon Vance and can recommend it. I gave it four stars.

I enjoyed so many of the aspects of the book. There were two very poignant moments that stood out to me: David as a small child walking across England. He had recently been orphaned by his parents, abandoned by his father-in-law, had to work six months in a work house in order to live hand to mouth, and then robbed upon setting out to find help. He set out to walk across England with the hope of finding his distant aunt (who had disowned him when he was born because he was "not a girl"). He had to sell all the clothes off his back in order to reach her. The scene illuminates the Christian phrase, "suffer the children."

The second moment I particularly remember is the ignominious and melancholy death of the highly intelligent Steerforth--seducer and effectual kidnapper of a young woman. It happens when that kidnapped woman's ex-fiance sees a large ship being dashed against the rocky cliffs of England and the ex-fiance believes that the kidnapped woman is in the ship. He dives into the ocean after his lost sweet-heart, knowing that he has no hope of saving her, but also knowing that if he does not ry he will lose his heart. After diving into the ocean he is shortly beaten to death by the waves on the rocks.

Then, when the bodies come up to the shore after the storm is over, the bodies of those who were in the shipwreck come ashore. The woman was not among them--she was safe on land far away. However, Steerforth, was in the ship.

It's a remarkable story, a true tour-de-force from Dickens. I recommend it, especially to my artist friends who have a lot of time on their hands while working at their easels....more

Despereaux's tale of how he, a mouse, saves the princess, is a reminder that good stories do not need to be complex, long, or gaudy. We love it when tDespereaux's tale of how he, a mouse, saves the princess, is a reminder that good stories do not need to be complex, long, or gaudy. We love it when they speak to our souls, as we're all always longing for "soup."

The title says it all with this one. It's about a mouse, who lives in a castle, and has to risk his life in order to save the princess from a dastardly rat.

The voice of the narrator takes me back to days when I was in second grade, listening to my teacher, Mrs. Bizell, reading stories.

Every character in this story is distinThe Wind in the Willows The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful tale!

Every character in this story is distinct, full of life, and their voices leap out of the page.

The scenes are simply beautiful. There's a dreaminess to the pacing that sets you back a hundred years or more when people in the Americas used to share their food and talk at great length with strangers.

One particular scene that stuck out to me was the one in which Rat and the Mole are searching for the lost otter child, but hear the call of mysterious music, forget what they are doing, and go searching for the source instead. They come to an island and, traveling inwards, come to a cool-green meadow where the music seems to come all around them with no particular source. Rat says, "...surely, this is where we will find Him," in awe, and both animals take off their hats and stand silently as the sun rises. Suddenly, when the sun does rise, the animals forget what they had just experienced and remember they were looking for the young otter child. The otter turns out to be just a few yards away from them and they take him home, but Mole drags behind a little, trying to remember, but failing to remember what they had experienced. I think I liked this scene because when we feel a divine presence or have a wonderful dream, we forget thereafter all of it in its details and only have a taste in our mouths to remind us that it happened.

Toad is hilarious –– definitely one of my favorite character portrayals of all time.

I did have one problem with the story, and that was that Toad never really did anything to redeem himself after all his picaresque harassment on society.

It's an amazing historical account of spiritual giants who sacrificed their lives in defense of their beliefs. After having read this, there's very liIt's an amazing historical account of spiritual giants who sacrificed their lives in defense of their beliefs. After having read this, there's very little legitimacy for latter-day believers to complain.

Just a heads up: This is a fully descriptive narrative of the martyrdoms, and as such it is flat out gruesome. I was continually shocked that persecuting human beings could be so horrible to any other person, especially to women and children. That being said, the violence is in no way gratuitous. To me, the book was entirely spiritually uplifting.

After getting about halfway I decided to stop; the stories became a little repetitious.

This is arguably the best fairy tale I have ever read. It's about a Princess who is bewitched at birth by her evil aunt so that she has no gravity andThis is arguably the best fairy tale I have ever read. It's about a Princess who is bewitched at birth by her evil aunt so that she has no gravity and will float away unless tied to the ground.

While MacDonald's writing often struggles in terms of style and clarity, his understanding of people, virtue, and the redemptive power of Charity are unparalleled.

His poems have an innocence to them that elucidates why we write and read poems and all: coming to know God.

The witch of an aunt was a terrific villain, and one of his best I think. Her simple magical tricks and spells were delightful, all while capturing what is detestable about evil.

My favorite scene or moment was the one on the shore of the Princess' lake, when the Prince first finds her and accidentally sends her floating away into the air. The image of the Princess gliding over the tops of the trees and grabbing the topmost twigs to pull herself back down was indelible.

I laughed throughout the whole book. I particularly loved the scene where Anne, still a chAnne is one of the greatest literary characters of all time.

I laughed throughout the whole book. I particularly loved the scene where Anne, still a child, puts flowers in her hat on the way to church, thinking it would be beautiful. She then spent her Sunday day walking around with dilapidated buds drooping above her head. It's something I could easily see one of my sisters doing at that age.

The voices were each unique in their own way. I thought Montgormery's handling of Anne's prideful refusal of Gilbert's plea for friendship to be a wonderful way of holding out the tension until the last page of the story.

There is a fantastic, free audio recording of it on librivox.org here: http://bit.ly/l4US2fIt's read by perhaps my favorite librivox reader, Karen Savage.

Powerful, hopeful, and enlightening: the story of Sir Thomas More is one that everyone should hear.

Thomas More was a remarkable sixteenth-century lawyPowerful, hopeful, and enlightening: the story of Sir Thomas More is one that everyone should hear.

Thomas More was a remarkable sixteenth-century lawyer who, out of his faith to the Catholic church, refused to swear an oath of spiritual obedience to King Henry the Eighth after the later took it upon himself to seize power from the Catholic Church and form The Church of England.

What was most interesting is that More brilliantly refused to give the reason 'why' he would not take the oath of spiritual obedience to the king. Everyone suspected that More was refusing out of his faith to the Catholic Church, but for More to say so specifically would make him vulnerable to accusation of treason under the king's self-imposed law.

The action of silent refusal by this influential lawyer was so powerful that it was said to be a 'Silence that bellowed up and down Europe.'

In the end, this silence cost him his life.

More was such a rare individual: he was perhaps the most talented intellectual of his day, yet he never let his abilities inflate his ego. The more he lived, the more he dedicated himself to understanding and teaching by example the passion of Christ.

Peter Ackroyd is the author in this great biography. He captures the most characteristic and interesting elements of More's life while still maintaining an objective point of view.

Five stars for a terrifically executed biography of a fascinating life story....more

This is one of those stories that warms its way into your brain, makes itself comfortable, and purrs softly for decades.

A brief synposis: When dishoneThis is one of those stories that warms its way into your brain, makes itself comfortable, and purrs softly for decades.

A brief synposis: When dishonest sea traders kill the men of the island tribe to which young Karana belongs, her tribe is forced to sail for the mainland or die from starvation. The day to leave comes and all the natives climb aboard the ship during the midst of a terrible storm. As they are sailing away Karana looks back and, with a great shock, sees that they accidentally left her little brother on the beach. Because of the storm the ship cannot return, and so, against the protests of her family, Karana leaps into the sea and swims to her brother to stay with him. Believing that everything will still be alright, she begins to set up a new life for herself in which she will take care of her brother, but it is not to be. A few days later, a pack of wild dogs—emboldened at seeing the adults gone—attack and kill her brother, leaving her all alone on the island.Now on her own, Karana embarks on an inward-journey of self-discovery and survival that may last the rest of her life.

One thing I love so much about stories is how we can follow a heroine through trials which only she, and she alone, can face. Yet, in her heart she conquers the things that each of us must face on our own, too.This is Karana’s story. I was touched by her search for a sense of inner-security, of self-worth, trust, and, eventually, a desire to share her love with others.

Beowulf is great. This is just a simplified version that keeps the original story beats and descriptions, while updating/cutting many of the archaic MBeowulf is great. This is just a simplified version that keeps the original story beats and descriptions, while updating/cutting many of the archaic Middle-English language elements. The result is that it's much easier to read, especially when you're listening on audio! :)

It's a fantastic premise for civilization. One of the funny things about reading this book is that you often find yourself musing, "Oh, of course, PlaIt's a fantastic premise for civilization. One of the funny things about reading this book is that you often find yourself musing, "Oh, of course, Plato. That makes sense already, and the world already works like that..." Then you stop and realize that the reason the world works in that particular way is because Plato laid down the reasoning for it, and then you smack yourself in the forehead with amazement.

The one thing I didn't like about this book was Plato's call for censorship. At one point he even claims to a certain extent that art ought to be extirpated from civilization. While he rightly illuminates that a dishonest artist can mislead his viewer/audience, I think it's wrong to say that because of the character of some artists that no artists should be allowed to create—only except they create according to a certain set of rules. In my opinion, both the audience and the artists need to work through the practice of admiring or creating art until they find a path that they find to be uplifting. ...more

This book is one of the most powerful collections of spiritual discussion that I have ever read. MacDonald writes about the gospel and about what it mThis book is one of the most powerful collections of spiritual discussion that I have ever read. MacDonald writes about the gospel and about what it means to be a Christian in a way that only a man who spent his life trying to understand it possibly could.

It's full of truths that are simply stated, and profoundly introspective such as,

'Who truly owns a house? The man who owns a hundred mansions scattered throughout the countryside? Or the man who owns no house, but a knock on any door in his village would bring instant jubilation from those within?'

There's another book by MacDonald, "Getting to Know Jesus", which has several repeated essays. I'm not sure what the details are on why these two books were published separately when their content crosses over.

The book is honest, and that is a remarkable thing for an author, C.S. Lewis, seeking to relate the experience of watching his wife die and then copinThe book is honest, and that is a remarkable thing for an author, C.S. Lewis, seeking to relate the experience of watching his wife die and then coping with the loss thereafter.

I read this book over a year ago, and many parts wander through my mind still. One in particular is the last paragraph, where he shares the last living moment with his wife:

(Paraphrasing) I said to her, "When I am dying and am lying on my bed, I should like it very much if you would come visit me. She said amidst her throws of agony, "God would not refuse me, and if hell tries to hold me back I shall break it to pieces." Then, after a few more moments of pain, she turned and said, "I am at peace with God," but said it to the Priest, not to me. Poi si torno all eterna fontana.

---

The last words, Poi si torno all eterna fontana, mean "And then she returned to the Eternal Fount," which were the last words of Dante's Divine Comedy, when Beatrice returns to heaven.

I love this book. It illustrates the kind of relationship for which we are all looking.

***08/30/12

(I wrote a review on this twice and just noticed today. Here's the other review)

One of the amazing things about C.S. Lewis is that he has a way of articulating feeling or thoughts we have all experienced yet cannot make sense of on our own. This book is one of those books. It's a personal journal Lewis wrote for himself while recovering from the emotion trauma caused by the death of his wife.

If I were to sum up the book in one word, I would say: wistful.

The last paragraph of the book has stayed with me ever since I read it; I won't share it here so that you can read it on your own....more

If you haven't read this book yet, I'd recommend putting it at the top of your fiction list. It's poignant and thoughtful. Whenever I read it I feel lIf you haven't read this book yet, I'd recommend putting it at the top of your fiction list. It's poignant and thoughtful. Whenever I read it I feel like I gain something new about life; one of my favorite thoughts from it is how often times in life we throw ourselves into great, long adventures traversing across the galaxy in our search to find the meaning of life, only to learn that the love of our home was where meaning all began.

It's beautiful. The audiobook reading available on audible.com is pretty great. ...more